REPORTING OF INFORMED CONSENT IN A LEADING IRANIAN PUBLIC HEALTH JOURNAL

Background: ethical conduct in human research includes approval by informed consent. Thus, obtaining informed consent is one of the most important considerations when conducting research on human subjects. Evidence of this is often lacking in journal publications. Methods: the authors reviewed all publications reporting research human subjects in a leading Iranian public health journal (payesh – Health Monitoe) over a period of three years (2001-2004) . Rates of reporting informed consent were examined. Results: In eighty – two papers (n=82) were reviewed. Of three , 31 atricles were identified for inclusion in the study. There were 18 cross – sectional surveys, 8 case – control studies, and 3 clinical trials. Two papers on screening programs were also examined. The authors found that the obtaining informed consent was documented in 26% of these publications. Conclusions: the results indicate that the rate of reporting informed consent is low in this journal and perhaps it is the same in other similar major medical journals. This suggests that there is need for clearer guidelines and a better compliance by researchers for all types of publications both to protect participant’s interests and to maintain public trust in the research process.